Liquid-feed system



Dec. 21 192s. 1,611,203-

J. D. LALOR LIQUID FEED SYSTEM Filed April 22,- 1925 IN VEN TOR:

dam 1112mm;

WITNESSES TORNEYS.

I ground reservoir usually located outdoors,

Patented Dec. 21, was.

I imirensr LANDL. j j a LIQUID-rim]: SYSTEM. "if

. Application filed April 22, 1925. Serial .no zaoaoi This' invention relates .tdliquid feed systems, more particularly of a kind usefulfor feeding-liquid fuel in light, heating, power.

or other industrial plants. v In a system of the kind 1 present invention is concerned, the liquid fuel is continuously, pumped from an under-- and passed through more or less elaboratelyinvolved housed apparatus comp'r1s1ng,; 1n

I addition to pumps and necessary auxiliaries such as preheate'rs, accumulators, filters,

strainers, etc., before being deliveredto the burners whereby itis consumed in thejfurnaces.. Consequently upon shutting down such a system as at night, or upon failure of the. pump forrany, reason,,a considerable amount of. liquid fuel is leftremannng nthe various-elements constituting thepump'- ing vand conditioning equipment within the buildings 1 I o q My invention is directed in the main to provisions whereby all the fluid-fuel in the indoor apparatuswhether' it be in the. r pump,.the component auxlharles or the con.- nectingRpipmg-fls automatically drained back into the supply reservoir when the sysrtemis not inuse, so that firehazardis reduced to an absolute minimum.-

Other objects and attendant advantages]: will become apparent from the detailed def scription hereinafter of the typical embodiment of my inventionjshown in the drawing herewith. i

With reference to this illustration, 5' indi-' cates the side wall of the building housing" the pumping and conditioning? equipment which is comprehensively deslgnated by the numeral 6. The reservoir 7 constituting the source of fuel-supply,,v is located outdoors thepump into a pipe 10, a by-passpipe 11' liaving parallel branches 12 with interposed automatic relief valves 13, being connected to the pipe 10 at 14, serves to conduct any excess delivery of the pump directly back into the reservoir 7 while the system is in operation. The, pumped fluid isconveyed by the pipe 10 into the lower end of a-preheater 15,- shown as comprising a vertical fwith which the shown;

cylindric casing that affords a flow passage JAMES D. LA on, or'B LrtMoRE, MARYLAND, as s'mno'n' To THE Lenora s e-r0 1. 1 SYSTEM COMPANY, mo, or BaLrr oan'MABYn mnjA oonrona'rron orManY- forthe fluid about an internal *radiator 16,

through which steam or other suitable heat- 111g medlumls'constantly circulated by virtue of connection to'supplyand returnmains 17,-18. An additional pipe 19 serves to conduct off condensation accumulating in the ply main 17 is a-standard formof automatic flow regulatmgivalve 20 w1th a connection preheater 15.- Interposed inthe steam sup-- r 21 to ,a temperature responsive control de vice, 22 locatedin the flow of fluid Within the V preheater 15. After! traversing the. pre

heater 15, the liquid fuel leaves the .top of r the same. by Way'of 21 depending branch pipe 28 from a conduit '24. A shunt conduit branch 25 is'preferablyprovided to enable the preheater 15 tobe cutuout of the system if desired, suitable valves 26 being inter;

posed in the piping to divert the flow as de-v sired. The ldowmvard'extension 27 of the main 24del1vers the preheated liquid into the bottom-of a: columnar accumulator 28 maintained in the topof-th'e accumulator 28 through communicationv by. way of a pipe connection 30. with asuitable compressor, not The'oil leavesthe' accumulator 28 through. alateral outlet 31 atthe bottom thereof and is conducted by a oommunicating' appliances,v (not shown).

interposed an; automatic shut-off valve. 34*

such as shown and described in Patent 1,108,058,'granted me under date of July 14, 191 this valve'being ope rative toyauto-j matically prevent flow of oil to the burners in the event of failure of the pipe .lines,,or

over feeding," I

Now it will be noted that when asystem of this sort is shut down, intentionally, or through failure to function for any reason,

a comparatively large amount of oil will re- 7 main in the pump 8 and the various afore- V descrlbed auxlharles, as well as 1n the connecting piping,such condition constituting a very formidable fire hazard. In order to overcome this objection, Iprovide, in ac cordance with the present invention, forau- 7 tomatic draining ofthe system as follows: A common drain conduit 35 is connected I by means of vertical branches 36, 37, 38 with 1 the flow conduits '10, 27, 32,.at 14, 39, and 40 respectively. At 41 the conduit 35 is in communication with a discharge main 42 which leads directly back into the supply reservoir 7 .7 Check valves 43 are interposed in the conduit 35 at various points to restrict flow to the direction indicated by the dotted arrows, While an automatic drain 'valve- 44 in the discharge main 42 normally ately upon cessation of pumpaction and con- 7 through the branch 36, the accumulator 2S and connections through the branches 87,

cessation of sequent automatic opening of the valve 44,

the oil remaining in the various parts of the apparatus will immediately begin gravitating back into the reservoir 7, the pump 8, preheater 15 and connections discharging 88 into the conduit 35, and the latter into the main 42 which leads to the reservoir,- the whole operation requiring but a few seconds for its consummation and render ing the entire system completely empty and safe from the standpoint of fire hazard.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: r

1. In liquid teed systems of the character described,jthe combination of pumping and pro-treating apparatus, and means automatically operative to drain all liquid re maining in the system upon cessation of pumping.

2 In liquid feed systems described, the combination of pumping and pro-treating apparatus, a supply reservoir,

and means automatically operative to return all liquid remaining in the system .upon

pumping to the supply reservoir. V p Y I 3. In liquid feed systems of the character described, the combination of pumping and pre-heating apparatus, a supply reservoir at a level below the pumping apparatus, and automatic means to permit all liquid remaining in the system upon cessation of pumping to drain backinto the reservoir;

of the character 4. In liquid feedsystems of the character described, the combination of pumping and pie-heating apparatus, a supply reservoir exterior of the building housing the pumpi'ng apparatus, and means automaticallyop erative toreturn all liquid remaining in the system upon cessation of pumping to the supply reservoir; i l

5. In liquid feed systems otthe character described, the combinationof pumping and pro-heatingapparatus, an accumulator and controlling devices throughwhi-ch the liquid is continuously passed en route torthe point of'delivery; a pipe connecting With the discharge sides of'the pump, accumulator and controlling devices aforementioned to permit draining of all liquid remaining in the system upon cessation of the pumping; and means to prevent flow through said pipe during normal operation of the'system.

6'. Inliquid teed systems of the character described, the combination of pumping and pro-heating apparatus including a supply reservoir, a number of controlling devices through which the liquid is continuously passed en route to the point ot delivery, a pipe connecting with the discharge sides of thepump, pre-heating and controlling devices aforementioned to return any liquid left in the apparatus upon cessation of the pumping to the supply reservoir, and means to prevent flow through said pipe during normal operation of the system. V T. In liquid teed systems otthe character described, the combination of pumping apparatus including a supply reservoir, a preheater and an accumulator through which the liquid is continuously pased en route to thepoint of dellvery, a plpe connecting the discharge sides of the pump, the preheater and the a'ccumulatorto the supply reservoir to permit gravitation of any liquid remainmg 1n the system upon cessatlon'lof the pumping back to the supply reservoir, and

means interposed in said pipe to prevent flow through the same during normaloperation 01 the system. r

In testimony whereof, 'Iyhave hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsyh Vania, this 8th dayot April, 1925.

minus 1 LALOR. 

